On-the-go soil sensors and control methods for agricultural machines

ABSTRACT

An on-the-go monitor and control means and method for an agriculture machines includes on-the-go soil sensors that can be used to control tillage and seeding depth. On seeder implements, the sensors provide information that affects uniform plant emergence.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a Divisional Application of U.S. Ser. No. 14/818,435, filed Aug.5, 2015, which claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 13/858,681filed on Apr. 8, 2013, which are herein incorporated by reference intheir entirety for all purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to agricultural machines, andmore specifically, to on-the-go sensors that measure soil parametersaffecting optimum planting and tillage depth. An electronic controlsystem may automatically adjust planting or tillage depth on-the-gobased on measured soil parameters.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In crops like corn, uniform seed germination and plant emergence arecritical to achieve maximum yield potential. According to The Ohio StateUniversity Extension Fact Sheet Tips to Reduce Planter PerformanceEffects on Corn Yield, “Uneven emergence affects crop performancebecause competition from larger early-emerging plants decreases theyield from smaller later-emerging plants.” “Emergence delays of 10 daysor more usually translate to growth stage differences of two leaves orgreater. Therefore, if two plants differ by two leaves or more, theyounger, smaller plant is more likely to be barren or produce nubbins.”It is generally known that no yield reduction occurs from late emergencecorn as long as the plant emerges within 48 hours of nearby plants. Thelater a corn plant emerges beyond the 48 hour window, the greater itsyield reduction. Research shows that uniform emergence can lead to anaverage six bushel per acre increase in corn yield.

As compared to corn, field crops such as soybeans and wheat are moreeffective at making up lost yields for late emerging seedlings. Forinstance, healthy soybean and wheat plants fill in the space ofneighboring weak plants. To a certain degree, healthy soybean and wheatplants tend to produce more grain when nearby plants are behind ingrowth. Healthy corn plants, on the other hand, are not very effectiveat recapturing yield lost by nearby stunted plants. For this reason,synchronized plant emergence is critical to maximize corn yieldpotential and provide all plants with a fair chance at strength andvitality. As depicted in FIG. 1, late emerging seedlings 14 are slow tomature, stunted in height, and develop thinner stalks and smaller ears18 as compared to healthy, neighboring corn plants 12 with larger ears16 that produce higher yields. These stunted seedlings 14 stealnutrients from neighboring plants 12 and are considered by farmers toact more like weeds than productive plants. Historically in cornproduction, more attention has been put on achieving uniform spacingthan uniform emergence; however, recent research shows that “unevenemergence has a greater adverse effect on yield than uneven spacing”according to Exapta article Uniform timing of emergence trumps uniformspacing for yield effect.

Synchronized plant emergence necessitates synchronized seed germination.It is known that late germinating seeds do not catch up in undergroundgrowth to earlier germinated seeds because environmental factors thataffect growth between germination and emergence are generally the samefor nearby plants. In other words, a seed germinated ahead of anotherwill emerge faster because the growth rate between germination andemergence is the same for both seeds. Therefore, delayed germinationmeans delayed plant emergence.

Plant germination depends on a few factors. A first factor is sufficientseed to soil contact. In order for the seed to absorb moisture quicklyand uniformly, soil must be firmed around the seed. Seeds set in thebottom of a seed trench at planting ensure uniform seed to soil contactwhich leads to synchronized germination. Seed to soil contact can bemaximized by proper down pressure on individual row units on a planter.A “seed firmer” can be used to improve seed to soil contact by pushingthe seed firmly into the bottom of a seed trench after the planterdispenses seed into the trench. The “seed firmer” tool can improve seedgermination by improving seed to soil contact in loose soil, but it canlose its effectiveness when soil voids caused by clods at the bottom ofseed trench occur.

What is needed is an on-the-go means to detect soil voids in the seedtrench. An on-the-go seed to soil contact sensor can be used to adjustplanting depth deeper to reach solid formed soil. It could also be usedto adjust a trash cleaner tool or tillage tool mounted ahead of the rowto remove or pulverize clods.

A second factor for encouraging synchronized seed germination and plantemergence is adequate soil moisture. Corn seeds must imbibe an adequateamount of moisture to start and complete germination. Adequate soilmoisture for corn is most simply defined as enough moisture to swell theseed triggering utilization of starch in the kernel and the emergence ofa radical root. The seed must imbibe enough moisture to get root growthto the point the roots can take over supplying the young seedling withnutrients and moisture. Marginal levels of soil moisture from dry soilmay cause seeds to germinate and emerge late relative to nearby seeds.Uneven soil moisture throughout the seed zone is a primary cause ofuneven germination and emergence, the results of which can be yieldloss. Calculating the overall soil moisture level of a field prior toplanting is difficult, as soil moisture varies throughout the field anddepends on several factors such as topography, weather conditions,tillage patterns, soil profile, and uneven seeding depth. Soil typicallyretains moisture in the valleys of a field while drying out faster onhilltops and hillsides. Empirical readings while planting have depictedup to a 2 to 1 difference in soil moisture at the same depth indifferent areas of the same field. Moreover, soil profiles vary in theirability to hold water. For example, FIG. 2 illustrates a fieldcomparison of moisture levels on the top of a clayous hill 22 versus avalley 24 with loam soil. At the top of the hill 22, there isapproximately 9% soil moisture at two inches in depth, while in thevalley 24 there is approximately 13% soil moisture at two inches indepth. Thus, it is extremely difficult to determine the overall level ofmoisture in a field prior to planting.

Soil moisture levels increase as seeds are planted deeper into the soil.Thus, if the soil is dry and no precipitation is predicted in theimmediate future, farmers plant seeds deeper into the soil to reach therequired moisture levels to initiate germination. Soil moisture metersare known in the art as measuring moisture at different depths of thesoil and can be used to help determine seed planting depths. However,commercially available sensors generally require stationary readings inorder to operate. As a result, few farmers use soil moisture meters toset planting depths as they lack confidence in the soil moisture readingto achieve synchronous seed germination throughout a field.

Instead of utilizing soil moisture meters, many farmers simply determineplanting depth on an ad hoc basis by digging up a planted seed. If soilsurrounding the seed feels and appears to contain the required amount ofmoisture, planting depth is considered satisfactory. Such determinationsare often made by merely pinching the soil with the fingers. Soil thatsticks together is considered to maintain a satisfactory amount ofmoisture, while soil that fails to stick together indicates thatplanting depth needs to be increased. This age-old technique is largelybased on past planting experience and is obviously subject to humanerror. In addition, the number of samples tends to be very limited insize. The bottom line is farmers do not have a good means to account forinconsistent soil moisture levels throughout a field during planting.

Thus, what is needed is a reliable, on-the-go soil moisture sensor toprovide real-time readings at planting depth to the farmer whileplanting. On-the-go soil moisture sensors can be used to manually orautomatically adjust planting depth to a depth containing optimummoisture levels for seed germination. On-the-go soil moisture sensorsgenerally are not commercially available despite a few examples utilizedin research venues. For example, V. I. Adamchuk et al. “On-the-gosensors for precision agriculture” (March 2004) discloses on-the-go soilmoisture sensor research including electrical, electromagnetic, opticaland radio metric sensors and methods. Lie et al. “Development of atexture/soil compaction sensor” (1996) incorporated a dielectric-basedsoil moisture sensor into an instrumented chisel and conducted fieldtests. Andrade et al. “Evaluation of a dielectric based moisture andsalinity sensor for in situ applications” (2001) improved upon Lie'son-the-go sensor by overcoming the interference of temperature andsalinity. Gaultney et al. “Development of a Soil Moisture Meter toPredict Corn Seed Planting Depth” (1991) and Weatherly et al. “AutomaticDepth Control of a Seed Planter Based on Soil Drying Front Sensing”(1997) discloses automatically controlling planting depth based on thesoil moisture readings of an on-the-go sensor. Each aforementionedreference is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety as if setforth fully herein.

On-the-go soil moisture sensors are also beneficial on non-seederimplements like field cultivators, anhydrous applicators, chisel plows,moldboard plows, vertical tillage implements, strip till and othertillage implements. Tilling soil too wet causes soil compaction whichrestricts root growth and can reduce yield. Soil moisture sensors can beused to adjust tilling depth to avoid soil compaction or to avoidtillage altogether until the field dries out. They could also be usedwith implements applying fertilizers and pesticides to adjust tillagedepth to a soil moisture level that causes the fertilizer or pesticideto work more effectively for the crop. On-the-go soil moisture sensorscould also be used to vary the rate of fertilizers or pesticides to makethem work more effectively for the crop.

A third factor for encouraging synchronized seed germination and plantemergence is soil temperature. According to the Tips to Reduce PlanterPerformance Effects on Corn Yield article from The Ohio State UniversityExtension, “The optimum temperature for germination and emergence is 68degrees F. to 72 degrees F. Emergence occurs in five to six days atthese temperatures. Soil temperatures below 50 degrees F. dramaticallyslow germination and emergence. Individual seeds in a furrow may besubject to different temperature and moisture conditions due toplacement.”

Soil temperature decreases the deeper seed is planted. An on-the-go soiltemperature sensor can be used on planting implements to adjust plantingdepth to an optimum temperature level for seed germination. It can alsobe used with non-seeder implements to adjust tillage depth for thepurpose of making fertilizers and pesticides more effective for thecrop. It can also be used to vary the rate of fertilizers and pesticidesto make them more effective for the crop.

A fourth factor for encouraging synchronized seed germination and plantemergence is proper planting depth. It's already been shown optimumplanting depth is dependent on the aforementioned factors; however,sensing the actual planting depth from the top of the soil to the bottomof the seed trench is important on its own accord. For example, plantresidue can cause the depth regulation member (e.g. gauge wheels) of aplanter row unit to ride up on top of the residue causing a shallowercut seed trench than intended. Gauge wheel load sensors are known in theart to sense when the row unit is cutting a seed trench at the intendeddepth; however, they don't account for the depth error from plantresidue and they can't measure the magnitude of the depth of cut of theseed trench. On-the-go seed trench depth sensors provide feedback foradjusting planting depth to maintain a desired target seed trench depth.They can also provide cutting depth information to non-seeder tillageimplements for the purpose of tilling at an intended depth.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore it is a primary object, feature, or advantage of the presentinvention to improve upon the state of the art.

It is a further object, feature, or advantage of the present inventionto improve yield by encouraging uniform seed germination and plantemergence.

It is a further object, feature, or advantage of the present inventionto provide a control system for sensing soil moisture on-the-go whileplanting and adjust planting depth, accordingly.

A still further object, feature, or advantage of the present inventionis providing a method to automatically adjust seed planting depthon-the-go in relation to soil moisture.

Yet another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is toprovide a control system for sensing seed to soil contact on-the-gowhile planting and adjust planting depth, accordingly.

Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention isproviding a method to automatically adjust planting depth on-the-go inrelation to seed to soil contact.

An additional object, feature, or advantage of the present invention isto provide a planter for sensing soil moisture and seed to soil contacton-the-go and adjust planting depth and row unit down pressure,accordingly.

Yet another object, feature, or advantage is to provide a commerciallyviable, easy to use, reliable, on-the-go soil moisture and seed to soilcontact sensor.

One or more of these and/or other objects, features, or advantages ofthe present invention will become apparent from the Specification andclaims that follow. No single embodiment need meet all of these objects,features, or advantages and different embodiments may meet differentobjects, features, or advantages. The present invention is not to belimited by or to these objects, features, or advantages.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a method of adjustingseed planting depth on-the-go for a row unit of a planter is provided.The method includes providing a control system operatively connected tothe planter, the control system comprising a soil moisture sensor, anactuator for adjusting a seed planting depth, and an intelligent controlelectrically connected to the actuator, and the soil moisture sensor.The method further includes measuring moisture at the planting depthwith the soil moisture sensor as seeds are planted to provide soilmoisture data. The method further includes analyzing sensor data toprovide seed planting depth adjustments, the sensor data including thesoil moisture data. The method further includes adjusting seed plantingdepth on-the-go using the actuator based on the seed planting depthadjustments. The control system may further include a soil contactsensor electrically connected to the intelligent control and the methodmay further include measuring soil contact with the soil contact sensoras the seeds are planted to provide soil contact data and wherein thesensor data further comprises the soil contact data. The control systemmay further include a depth sensor electrically connected to theintelligent control and the method may further include measuring depthwith the depth sensor as the seeds are planted to provide depth data andwherein the sensor data further comprises the soil contact data.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a system forproviding on-the-go monitoring for use in automatically adjusting seedplanting depth on-the-go in a planter having at least one row unit isprovided. The system may include a seed firmer associated with a rowunit of the planter, a first sensor operatively connected to the seedfirmer to provide sensor data, an intelligent control electricallyconnected to the first sensor and adapted to receive the sensor data,and an actuator associated with the row unit of the planter. Theintelligent control is configured to monitor sensor data from the firstsensor operatively connected to the seed firmer and automatically adjustthe seed planting depth on-the-go for the first row unit of the planterusing the actuator associated with the row unit of the planter. Thesystem may further include a monitor operatively connected to theintelligent control and wherein the monitor is configured to displayinformation based on the sensor data. The first sensor may be a seedtrench depth sensor, a soil temperature sensor, a soil moisture sensoror a soil contact sensor. Where a second sensor is used, the firstsensor may be a seed trench depth sensor, a soil temperature sure, asoil moisture sensor, or a soil contact sensor and the second sensor maybe a different type of sensor.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a system includesa planter for planting seeds, the planter having at least one row unit.The system further includes a soil moisture sensor attached to the rowunit, a monitor for displaying soil moisture readings, an actuator foradjusting seed planting depth, and an intelligent control operativelyconnected to the monitor, actuator, and soil moisture sensor. The soilmoisture sensor is configured to measure moisture readings at theplanting depth as seeds are planted on-the-go. The intelligent controlreceives the moisture readings from the soil moisture sensors anddisplays the moisture readings on the monitor. The control systemautomatically adjusts seed planting depth on-the-go through the actuatorin relation to the level of moisture in the soil.

According to another aspect, a system for providing on-the-go monitoringfor use in automatically adjusting seed planting depth on-the-go in aplanter having at least one row unit is provided. The system includes aseed firmer associated with a row unit of the planter, a first sensoroperatively connected to the seed firmer to provide sensor data, anintelligent control electrically connected to the first sensor andadapted to receive the sensor data, an actuator associated with thefirst sensor, and wherein the intelligent control is configured tomonitor sensor data from the first sensor operatively connected to theseed firmer and automatically adjust the seed planting depth on-the-gofor the first row unit of the planter using the actuator associated withthe first sensor. The first sensor and the actuator may be positioned atthe same row unit. Alternatively, the first sensor and the actuator maybe positioned at the same or different row units within a section of theplanter having multiple row units.

According to another aspect, a system is provided. The system includes aplanter for planting seeds, the planter having at least one row unit, asoil moisture sensor attached to the planter, a monitor for displayingsoil moisture readings, an actuator for adjusting seed planting depth,and an intelligent control operatively connected to the monitor,actuator, and soil moisture sensor. The soil moisture sensor isconfigured to measure moisture readings at the planting depth as seedsare planted on-the-go. The intelligent control receives the moisturereadings from the soil moisture sensors and displays the moisturereadings on the monitor. The control system automatically adjusts seedplanting depth on-the-go through the actuator in relation to level ofmoisture in the soil.

According to another aspect of the present invention a system foradjusting seed planting depth on-the-go based on feedback from anon-the-go soil moisture sensor on a planter, is provided. A desiredtarget soil moisture is inputted by the user into a monitor located in atractor attached to the planter. The monitor is operatively connected tothe control system which includes an intelligent control operativelyconnected to soil moisture sensors located on individual row units ofthe planter. The soil moisture sensors measure moisture at the plantingdepth, as seeds are planted on-the-go. Real-time moisture readings takenfrom the soil moisture sensors are relayed to the intelligent controland further displayed to the user on the monitor. The control systemcompares the real-time soil moisture readings with the target soilmoisture, and adjusts seed planting depth on-the-go to reach the targetsoil moisture required for optimum seed emergence. Seed planting depthcan be automatically adjusted through various types of actuators locatedon each individual row unit and operatively connected to the intelligentcontrol. Thus, the control system adjusts seed planting depth on-the-goto assist in maximizing yield potential based on feedback from soilmoisture sensors located on the row units.

According to another aspect of the present invention a planter forplanting seeds is provided for adjusting seed planting depth and seed tosoil contact on-the-go based on feedback from an on-the-go soil moisturesensor and seed to soil contact sensor on the planter. A desired targetsoil moisture and seed to soil contact is inputted by the user into amonitor located in a tractor attached to the planter. The monitor isoperatively connected to a control system comprised of an intelligentcontrol operatively connected to soil moisture sensors and seed to soilcontact sensors located on individual row units of the planter. Thesensors measure soil moisture and seed to soil contact at the plantingdepth, as seeds are planted on-the-go. Real-time moisture readings andseed to soil contact readings taken from the sensors are relayed to theintelligent control and further displayed to the user on the monitor.The control system compares the real-time soil moisture and seed to soilcontact readings with the target soil moisture and seed to soil contact,and adjusts seed planting depth and row unit down pressure on-the-go toreach the desired target soil moisture and seed to soil contact neededfor optimum seed emergence. Seed planting depth and row unit downpressure can be automatically adjusted through various types ofactuators located on each individual row unit and operatively connectedto the intelligent control. Thus, the planter adjusts seed plantingdepth and row unit down pressure on-the-go to assist in maximizing yieldpotential based on feedback from soil moisture and seed to soil contactsensors located on the row units.

According to another aspect, a method of adjusting seed planting depthon-the-go is provided. The method includes providing a system comprising(a) a planter for planting seeds, the planter including at least one rowunit, (b) a soil moisture sensor attached to the planter, (c) a monitorfor displaying soil moisture readings, (d) an actuator for adjustingseed planting depth, and (f) an intelligent control operativelyconnected to the monitor, actuator, and the soil moisture sensor. Themethod further includes measuring moisture at the planting depth withthe soil moisture sensor as seeds are planted to provide soil moisturedata, analyzing sensor data to provide seed planting depth adjustments,the sensor data including the soil moisture data, and adjusting seedplanting depth on-the-go using the actuator based on the seed plantingdepth adjustments.

According to another aspect, a method of monitoring and displayingreadings associated with a soil moisture sensor on an agriculturalmachine as the agricultural machine traverses a field is provided. Themethod includes sensing soil moisture data with the soil moisture sensoron the agricultural machine as the agricultural machine traverses thefield and displaying on a display associated with the agriculturalmachine a representation of soil moisture. The representation of thesoil moisture may include soil moisture as percent content of soil. Therepresentation of the soil moisture may be a soil moisture range inwhich the soil moisture falls. The agricultural machine may include aseed firmer with the soil moisture sensor mounted on the seed firmer.The soil moisture sensor may be mounted on the agricultural machine tomeasure moisture at or proximate a bottom of a seed trench formed usingthe agricultural machine. The agricultural machine may be anagricultural tillage machine and the soil moisture sensor may be mountedon the agricultural machine to measure moisture at a cutting depth ofthe agricultural tillage machine. The method may further includeautomatically controlling tillage depth of the agricultural tillagemachine using the soil moisture data. The method may further includeautomatically controlling application rate of at least one agriculturalinput based on the soil moisture data, the at least one agriculturalinput selected from the set consisting of pesticides, fertilizers,growth regulators, defoliants, and seeds.

According to another aspect, a method of monitoring and displayingreadings associated with a soil temperature sensor on an agriculturalmachine as the agricultural machine traverses a field is provided. Themethod may include sensing soil temperature data with the soiltemperature sensor on the agricultural machine as the agriculturalmachine traverses the field and displaying on a display associated withthe agricultural machine a representation of soil temperature. Therepresentation of the soil temperature may be in degrees Fahrenheit ordegrees Celsius. The representation of soil temperature may be a rangeindicator format. The soil temperature sensor may be mounted on a seedfirmer of the agricultural machine such as in a position suitable tomeasure temperature at or proximate a bottom of a seed trench formedusing the agricultural machine. The agricultural machine may be anagricultural tillage machine and the soil temperature sensor may bemounted on the agricultural machine to measure temperature at a cuttingdepth of the agricultural tillage machine. The method may furtherinclude automatically controlling application rate of at least oneagricultural input based on the soil temperature data, the at least oneagricultural input selected from the set consisting of pesticides,fertilizers, growth regulators, defoliants, and seeds.

According to another aspect, a method of monitoring and displayingreadings associated with a sensor measuring seed to soil contact on aseeder as the seeder seeds a field is provided. The method may includesensing seed to soil contact data with the sensor on the seeder as theseeder seeds the field and displaying on a display associated with theagricultural machine a representation of seed to soil contact. Therepresentation of seed to soil contact may be in a range indicatorformat. The range indicator format may use color coding to specifydifferent ranges. The sensor may be mounted on a seed firmer of theseeder. The sensor may be mounted on the seeder to measure seed to soilcontact at or proximate a bottom of a seed trench.

According to another aspect, a method of monitoring and displayingreadings associated with a sensor measuring cutting depth of a seedtrench on a seeder as the seeder seeds a field is provided. The methodincludes sensing cutting depth with the sensor on the seeder as theseeder seeds the field and displaying on a display associated with theseeder a representation of cutting depth of the seed trench. Therepresentation of the cutting depth provides a linear distancedimension. The representation of the cutting depth may include a rangeindicator format. The sensor may be mounted on a seed firmer of theseeder. The sensing cutting depth with the sensor may provide fordistinguishing between plant residue on top of ground and soil andwherein the plant residue on the top of the ground is not included inthe cutting depth.

According to another aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatusincludes a seed firmer and a seed count sensor integrated into the seedfirmer. The apparatus may further include an intelligent controlelectrically connected to the seed count sensor and a displayoperatively connected to the intelligent control.

Different aspects may meet different objects of the invention. Otherobjectives and advantages of this invention will be more apparent in thefollowing detailed description taken in conjunction with the figures.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

The above mentioned features of this invention, and the methods ofattaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself willbe better understood by reference to the following description ofembodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanyingfigures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a depiction of a healthy corn plant as compared to a lateemerging corn plant.

FIG. 2 is a depiction of soil moisture variation in a crop field.

FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of a system of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of a system of the presentinvention for adjusting planting depth and/or row unit down pressureon-the-go based on feedback from an on-the-go soil moisture sensorsand/or seed to soil contact sensors on a planter.

FIG. 5 is a method of adjusting seed planting depth to ensuresatisfactory soil moisture for optimum seed emergence.

FIG. 6 is a method of adjusting row unit down pressure to ensuresatisfactory seed to soil contact for optimum seed emergence.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention attachedto a tractor.

FIG. 8 is a depiction of soil moisture sensors or seed to soil contactsensors built into the bottom and/or sides of a seed firmer.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating various methods of sensing data anddisplaying representations of the data.

FIG. 10 is a method for automatically adjusting tillage depth based onan on-the-go moisture sensor.

FIG. 11 is a method for automatically adjusting planting depth based onan on-the-go sensing of soil temperature.

FIG. 12 is a method for adjusting planting depth based on readings froman on-the-go seed furrow depth sensor.

FIG. 13 is a diagram of another example of a seed-firm with one or moresensors built-in.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes systems and methods for use in adjustingseed planting depth and row unit down pressure to account for varyinglevels of soil moisture in a field when planting to minimize occurrencesof late emerging corn seedlings.

FIG. 3 illustrates one example of a system which includes a planter 4having a control system 5. The control system 5 may include anintelligent control 11 operatively connected to a monitor 2. There maybe a plurality of row units 6. For each row unit 6, there is an actuator8 and sensors 7, 9. The sensors 7, 9 may include a soil moisture sensor,a seed to soil contact sensor, soil temperature sensor and seed trenchdepth sensor for adjusting seed planting depth and row unit downpressure on-the-go while planting.

FIG. 4 illustrates another example of the invention. As shown in FIG. 4,an intelligent control 11 is operatively connected to a monitor ordisplay 2. The intelligent control unit 11 is also operatively connectedto an actuator 8 and to one or more of various examples of sensors onthe row unit. Examples of such sensors include a soil temperature sensor102, a soil contact sensor 104, a count sensor 106, a soil moisturesensor 108, and a depth sensor 110. The soil moisture sensor 108 may bea dielectric or capacitance sensor, or an optical sensor for detectingmoisture when put in contact of a soil. The soil moisture sensor mayplaced at the bottom or one of the sides of a seed trench in which seedsare deposited. It is contemplated that more than one soil moisturesensor may be used. The count sensor 106 may be used detect or count thenumber of seeds planted in a seed furrow. Dielectric or optical sensorsmay be used to do so. The soil contact sensor 104 may be used to senseseed to soil contact. Dielectric or optical sensors or contact sensorsmay be used to do so. The soil temperature sensor 102 may be athermocouple sensor or other sensor used to detect temperature. Thedepth sensor 110 may be used to measure seed furrow depth and mayinclude dielectric or optical sensors to detect the depth of the furrowby measuring height of a seed furrow sidewall.

The monitor 2 may be used to display soil moisture readings, such amonitor may also be used for a number of other purposes associated withplanting such as informing the user whether he/she is within a targetplanting population, finding and displaying hidden mechanical problems,adjusting vacuum pressure, displaying transmissions, speed, row unitweight, field acres planted, GPS, seed singulation, plot maps, andalerting the user to skipped and clogged rows, as well as otherinformation which is measured or derived directly or indirectly fromparameters which are measured. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the monitor 2is typically located in the cab of a tractor 3 attached to the planter4.

Returning to FIG. 4, the intelligent control 11 may be a processor or amicrocontroller, integrated circuit or other type of intelligent controlprogrammed or otherwise configured to control the system. The actuator 8may be a hydraulic or pneumatic actuator or other type of actuator foradjusting seed planting depth. There may be multiple row units 6 on theplanter 4, and one or more soil moisture sensors 7 attached to each rowunit 6. Each soil moisture sensor 7 may be configured to measuremoisture at the planting depth as seeds are planted on-the-go. Real-timemoisture readings taken from the soil moisture sensors 7 may be relayedto the intelligent control 11 and displayed on the monitor 2 for reviewby the user. The control system may provide for comparing the real-timesoil moisture readings with a target soil moisture previously determinedby the user to reach optimum seed emergence. In light of thiscomparison, the control system may then adjust seed planting depthon-the-go through the actuator 8 in relation to the level of moisture inthe soil to assist in increasing yield potential. It is recognized thatthis adjustment may be automatically performed by the intelligentcontrol 11 operatively connected to the actuator 8. It is furtherrecognized that various types of soil moisture sensors 7 may beutilized, such as dielectric or optical sensors.

FIG. 5 illustrates one example of a method 40 of the present invention.The method may be used for adjusting planting depth on-the-go based onfeedback from an on-the-go soil moisture sensor and may be implementedas a control algorithm using the intelligent control. The soil moisturesensor measures moisture at the planting depth, as seeds are planted andthis information is used to control planting depth. Initially, in step42, a user may have previously identified the target soil moisturerequired in a field for optimum seed emergence and input it into thesystem. The initial target soil moisture may be adjusted for weatherparameters such as future precipitation forecasts in step 44. Theinitial target soil moisture may also be adjusted for soil profiles andfield topography in step 46. In light of such factors, the desired finaltarget soil moisture may be determined in step 48. In step 48, the finaltarget soil moisture may be determined. Alternatively, this final targetsoil moisture may also be input by the user into a monitor. In step 50,moisture is measured at the planting depth as seeds are plantedon-the-go by the soil moisture sensors. In step 52, a determination ismade as to whether the actual soil moisture is greater than the finaltarget soil moisture. If it is, then in step 54 a determination is madeas to whether the planting depth is equal to the minimum planting depth.If the planting depth is equal to the minimum depth then in step 56 adetermination is made to not adjust the planting depth. If the plantingdepth is not equal to the minimum planting depth as determined in step54, then in step 58 the planting depth is decreased.

Returning to step 52, if the actual soil moisture is not greater thanthe final target soil moisture then in step 62 a determination is madeas to whether the actual soil moisture is less than the final targetsoil moisture. If it is then in step 64 a determination is made as towhether the planting depth is equal to the maximum planting depth. If itis then in step 56 the planting depth is not adjusted. If it is not,then in step 66 the planting depth is increased. Returning to step 62,if the actual soil moisture is not greater than the final target soilmoisture then in step 56 the planting depth is not adjusted.

After changing the planting depth, whether it be decreasing plantingdepth in step 58 or increasing planting depth in step 66, the processmay perform the optional step of relieving the row unit down pressurewhile the actuator is adjusting planting depth. Regardless of whether ornot the optional step is performed, the process returns to step 42.

FIG. 6 illustrates another example of a method 70 of the presentinvention. The method may be performed by an intelligent control as acontrol algorithm for adjusting planting depth on-the-go based onfeedback from an on-the-go seed to soil contact sensor. The seed to soilcontact sensor measures at the planting depth, as seeds are planted andprovides for adjusting planting depth based on measurements from thesoil contact sensor. Initially, a user may identify a desired targetseed to soil contact required for optimum seed emergence such as byinputting the target seed to soil contact into a monitor device. Thetarget seed to soil contact is provided in step 72. In step 74, theactual seed to soil contact is sensed or measured from an on-the-go soilsensor. In step 76, a determination is made as to whether the actualseed to soil contact is greater than the target. If it is then in step78 the planting depth is not adjusted. If it is, then in step 80, adetermination is made as to whether the actual seed to soil contact isless than the target. If it is not, then in step 78 the planting depthis not adjusted. If it is, then in step 82 a determination is made as towhether the planting depth is at the maximum depth. If it is then instep 78 the planting depth is not adjusted. If it is not, then in step84 the planting depth is increased. Then an optional step 84 may beperformed which involves relieving the row unit down pressure while theactuator is adjusting planting depth. Regardless of whether the plantingdepth is adjusted or not, the process then returns to step 72 to berepeated.

FIG. 7 which has been previously referenced includes a tractor 3 with acab in which the monitor 2 may be placed. The tractor 4 pulls theplanter 4 which includes row units 6.

FIG. 8 illustrates a seed firmer 92 which may be present on each rowunit of a planter in order to improve seed to soil contact. Seed to soilcontact sensors and/or soil moisture sensors or other sensors may beincorporated into the base, sides, or base and sides of the seed firmer92. As shown in FIG. 8, a soil contact sensor 104 is shown, as is a soiltemperature sensor 102, a seed count sensor 106, a soil moisture sensor108, and a depth sensor 110. The seed firmer 92 improves seed to soilcontact by pushing the seed 94 firmly into the bottom 98 of a seedtrench 96 created by a planter when planting. Thus, the seed firmer tool92 operatives conventionally with respect to improving seed germinationbut also uses sensors readings from the included sensors to prevent seed94 from being planted in soil too dry for germination, seed planted toodeep or too shallow or other conditions.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating various methods of sensing data anddisplaying representations of the data. As shown in FIG. 9, a step 200of sensing soil moisture may be performed and a step 202 of displaying arepresentation of the soil moisture on a display 2 may be performed.Similarly, a step 204 of sensing soil temperature may be performed and astep 206 of displaying a representation of soil temperature on thedisplay 2 may be performed. Similarly, a step 208 of sensingseed-to-soil contact may be performed and a step 210 of displaying arepresentation of seed-to-soil contact on display 2 may be performed.Similarly, a step 212 of sensing cutting depth may be performed and astep 214 of displaying a representation of cutting depth on display 2may be performed. For any sensed information the present inventioncontemplates that associated information may be displayed in varioustypes of quantitative or qualitative representations which may indicatespecific values, a range of values, or an interpretation of a value.

FIG. 10 is a method 300 for automatically adjusting tillage depth basedon an on-the-go moisture sensor. As shown, there is a highest allowablesoil moisture 302. In step 304 an actual soil moisture is read from theon-the-go soil moisture. In step 306, a determination is made as towhether or not the actual soil moisture is greater than the highestallowable soil moisture. If it is, then in step 308 a determination ismade as to whether the tillage depth is equal to the minimum tillagedepth. If it is, then in step 310, the tillage depth is not adjusted. Ifit is not, then in step 312, the tillage depth is decreased. Returningto step 306 if the actual soil moisture is not greater than the highestallowable soil moisture then in step 314, a determination is made as towhether the actual tillage depth is less than the target tillage depth.If it is, then in step 316, the tillage depth is increased to the targetdepth. Thus, tillage depth may be automatically adjusted based on theon-the-go soil moisture sensor.

FIG. 11 is a method 320 for automatically adjusting planting depth basedon an on-the-go sensing of soil temperature. As shown there is a lowestallowable soil initial temperature setting 322. In step 324, an optionalstep of adjusting the lowest allowable soil temperature for weatherparameters may be performed. In step 326, an optional step of adjustingthe lowest allowable temperature for soil parameters may be performed.Where adjustments are made in steps 324 or 326, the adjustments may bemade according to models, equations, or lookup tables or otherwise. Instep 328, there is a final lowest allowable soil temperature obtainedafter any adjustments. In step 330, an actual soil temperature from theon-the-go temperature sensor is read. In step 332 a determination ismade as to whether the actual soil temperature is less than the finallowest allowable soil temperature. If it is, then in step 334 adetermination is made as to whether the planting depth is at the minimumdepth. If it is not, then in step 338 the planting depth is decreased.If the planting depth is at the minimum depth, then in step 336, it isnot adjusted. There is also an optional step 340 of relieving the rowunit down pressure while the actuator is adjusting the planting depth.

FIG. 12 is a method 350 for adjusting planting depth based on readingsfrom an on-the-go seed furrow depth sensor. As shown, there is a targetplanting depth 352. In step 354 actual seed planting depth is read fromthe on-the-go depth senor. In step 356 a determination is made as towhether the actual planting depth is less than the target plantingdepth. If it is, then in step 360, the planting depth is increased untilthe actual depth is equal to the target depth. If not, then in step 358,a determination is made as to whether the actual planting depth isgreater than the target planting depth. If it is, then in step 362 theplanting depth is decreased until the actual depth is equal to thetarget depth. If not, then in step 366 the planting depth is notadjusted. Also, as shown there is an optional step 364 that provides forrelieving the row unit down pressure while the actuator is adjustingplanting depth.

FIG. 13 is a diagram of another example of a seed-firm with one or moresensors built-in. As shown, there are voids in soil at the bottom of theseed trench. There is a seed firmer 92 which may be present on each rowunit of a planter in order to improve seed to soil contact. Seed to soilcontact sensors and/or soil moisture sensors or other sensors may beincorporated into the base, sides, or base and sides of the seed firmer92. As shown in FIG. 8, a soil contact sensor 104 is shown, as is a soiltemperature sensor 102, a seed count sensor 106, a soil moisture sensor108, and a depth sensor 110. The seed firmer 92 improves seed to soilcontact by pushing the seed 94 firmly into the bottom 98 of a seedtrench 96 created by a planter when planting. Where the voids arepresent in the soil at the bottom of the seed trench, there would be therisk of planting the seeds too deep without using the sensors to takeinto account depth and soil contact.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated with respectto preferred embodiments thereof, it is not to be so limited sincechanges and modifications may be made therein which are within the fullintended scope of the invention. For example, the present inventioncontemplates variations in the type of soil moisture sensors utilized,whether it be dielectric or optical. Various structure differences inplanter types are also within the full intended scope of the inventionsuch as the number of row units, varying row spacing, split rows, andvacuum, brush-type or finger pickup seed metering systems. Moreover, theorder and steps of the methods of the present invention may also bemodified or revised in accordance with the changing parameters of thelandscape and weather patterns while planting. Furthermore, althoughalgorithms are provided to show how data collected from the sensors maybe used, the present invention contemplates that different algorithmsmay be used applying different logic for control.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of monitoring and displaying readingsassociated with a soil moisture sensor on an agricultural machine as theagricultural machine traverses a field, the method comprising: sensingsoil moisture data with the soil moisture sensor on the agriculturalmachine as the agricultural machine traverses the field; displaying on adisplay associated with the agricultural machine a representation ofsoil moisture.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the representation ofsoil moisture comprises soil moisture as percent content of soil.
 3. Themethod of claim 1 wherein the representation of soil moisture comprisesa soil moisture range in which the soil moisture falls.
 4. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the agricultural machine comprises a seed firmer andwherein the soil moisture sensor is mounted on the seed firmer.
 5. Themethod of claim 1 wherein the soil moisture sensor is mounted on theagricultural machine to measure moisture at or proximate a bottom of aseed trench formed using the agricultural machine.
 6. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the agricultural machine is an agricultural tillagemachine and wherein the soil moisture sensor is mounted on theagricultural machine to measure moisture at a cutting depth of theagricultural tillage machine.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein theagricultural machine is an agricultural tillage machine and wherein themethod further comprises automatically controlling tillage depth of theagricultural tillage machine using the soil moisture data.
 8. The methodof claim 1 wherein the method further comprises controlling seed trenchdepth.
 9. The method of claim 1 further comprising automaticallycontrolling application rate of at least one agricultural input based onthe soil moisture data, the at least one agricultural input selectedfrom the set consisting of pesticides, fertilizers, growth regulators,defoliants, and seeds.
 10. A method of monitoring and displayingreadings associated with a soil temperature sensor on an agriculturalmachine as the agricultural machine traverses a field, the methodcomprising: sensing soil temperature data with the soil temperaturesensor on the agricultural machine as the agricultural machine traversesthe field; displaying on a display associated with the agriculturalmachine a representation of soil temperature.
 11. The method of claim 10wherein the representation of the soil temperature is in degreesFahrenheit.
 12. The method of claim 10 wherein the representation of thesoil temperature is in degrees Celsius.
 13. The method of claim 10wherein the representation of soil temperature is in a range indicatorformat.
 14. The method of claim 10 wherein the soil temperature sensoris mounted on a seed firmer of the agricultural machine.
 15. The methodof claim 10 wherein the soil temperature sensor is mounted on theagricultural machine to measure temperature at or proximate a bottom ofa seed trench formed using the agricultural machine.
 16. The method ofclaim 10 wherein the agricultural machine is an agricultural tillagemachine and wherein the soil temperature sensor is mounted on theagricultural machine to measure temperature at a cutting depth of theagricultural tillage machine.
 17. The method of claim 10 furthercomprising automatically controlling application rate of at least oneagricultural input based on the soil temperature data, the at least oneagricultural input selected from the set consisting of pesticides,fertilizers, growth regulators, defoliants, and seeds.
 18. A method ofmonitoring and displaying readings associated with a sensor measuringseed to soil contact on a seeder as the seeder seeds a field, the methodcomprising: sensing seed to soil contact data with the sensor on theseeder as the seeder seeds the field; and displaying on a displayassociated with the agricultural machine a representation of seed tosoil contact.
 19. The method of claim 18 wherein the representation ofseed to soil contact comprises a range indicator format.
 20. The methodof claim 19 wherein the range indicator format uses color coding tospecify different ranges.
 21. The method of claim 18 wherein the sensoris mounted on a seed firmer of the seeder.
 22. The method of claim 18wherein the sensor is mounted on the seeder to measure seed to soilcontact at or proximate a bottom of a seed trench.
 23. A method ofmonitoring and displaying readings associated with a sensor measuringcutting depth of a seed trench on a seeder as the seeder seeds a field,the method comprising: sensing cutting depth with the sensor on theseeder as the seeder seeds the field; and displaying on a displayassociated with the seeder a representation of cutting depth of the seedtrench.
 24. The method of claim 23 wherein the representation of thecutting depth provides a linear distance dimension.
 25. The method ofclaim 23 wherein the representation of the cutting depth comprises arange indicator format.
 26. The method of claim 23 wherein the sensor ismounted on a seed firmer of the seeder.
 27. The method of claim 23wherein the sensing cutting depth with the sensor provides fordistinguishing between plant residue on top of ground and soil andwherein the plant residue on the top of the ground is not included inthe cutting depth.
 28. An apparatus comprising: a seed firmer; a seedcount sensor integrated into the seed firmer.
 29. The apparatus of claim28 further comprising an intelligent control electrically connected tothe seed count sensor.
 30. The apparatus of claim 29 further comprisinga display operatively connected to the intelligent control.